Doris Salcedo and the presence in major collections

Doris Salcedo has built one of the most compelling sculptural practices of the past decades. Her works such as Shibboleth and Untitled furniture pieces anchor her firmly in major museum collections across Europe and the Americas.

From the AD HOC NEWS Art Desk » Museum & Collection Desk - The editors cover exhibitions, auctions, collections, prizes and artistic positions. Published: August 25, 2026 · Last checked: August 25, 2026, 5:55 PM

Doris Salcedo has become a key reference for how contemporary sculpture addresses political violence and mourning. Her large scale works and furniture based pieces have entered leading museum collections in Europe and the Americas over the last two decades.

Museum holdings of key works

One central point in Doris Salcedo's institutional presence is the installation A Flor de Piel, acquired by the Harvard Art Museums and first shown publicly in the exhibition Doris Salcedo: The Materiality of Mourning in 2016, as the museum documents. Harvard Art Museums exhibition text

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago organized a major retrospective titled Doris Salcedo, which later travelled to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and Pérez Art Museum Miami, creating an institutional framework that further strengthened museum interest in her work. Pérez Art Museum Miami exhibition page

Collections shaped by Salcedo's practice

At the Guggenheim in New York, the retrospective brought together sculptural ensembles and architectural interventions that had already entered or were poised to enter public collections, including works related to her long term engagement with Colombian histories of conflict. This institutional cooperation underscored her relevance for collection building in the Americas.

In Europe, institutions such as Tate Modern in London, where Salcedo realized the Turbine Hall commission Shibboleth in 2007, have anchored her profile with site specific works that extended the logic of collection display into the architecture itself, even when conceived as temporary projects.

The material and thematic core

Doris Salcedo works primarily with sculpture and installation, often transforming domestic furniture, textiles and organic elements into dense memorial objects. Pieces such as Unland and A Flor de Piel stage the tension between intimacy and collective trauma through labor intensive processes and fragile surfaces.

Current position of the practice

Doris Salcedo maintains an internationally active practice based in Bogotá, with her works held in major museum collections across North and South America as well as Europe, and currently no announced date in the 30 day window.

Doris Salcedo at a glance

• Artist: Doris Salcedo
• Medium / Genre: Sculpture and installation (politically engaged)
• Born: 1958, Bogotá, Colombia
• Place(s) of practice: Studio in Bogotá, Colombia
• Active since: 1980s
• Key work groups: Unland, A Flor de Piel, Shibboleth, Noviembre 6 y 7
• Current/last exhibition: Doris Salcedo - Pérez Art Museum Miami, 2015-2016
• Major collections: Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), Tate (London), Museo Reina Sofía (Madrid)
• Awards: Nomura Art Award (2019), Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture (2024)
• Next date: currently no announced date in the 30 day window

Frequently asked questions about Doris Salcedo

Where can I currently encounter major works by Doris Salcedo in museum collections?
Major works by Doris Salcedo are held by institutions such as Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Tate in London and Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.

What is a key museum work by Doris Salcedo that addresses mourning and loss?
The installation A Flor de Piel, in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums, is a key work in which Doris Salcedo uses treated rose petals sewn together to create a shroud like surface that reflects on mourning.

Which awards underline the institutional recognition of Doris Salcedo's practice?
Doris Salcedo received the Nomura Art Award in 2019 and the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture in 2024, highlighting the international recognition of her contributions to contemporary sculpture.

This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.